Centrifugal-separator bearing.



CHARLES H. SHAlV, OF MILWVAUKEE, 'lSCONSIN.

CENTRlFUGAL-SEPARATOR BEARlNGJ Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented April 30, 1907.

Application filed November 80,1906. Serial No. 345,640.

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Be it known that 1, Cinemas ll. Snaw, residing in Milwaukee, 1n thecounty of Milwaukee and State of lVisconsin, have invented new anduseful Improvements in Centrifugal-Soparator Bearings, of which thefollowing is a description, reference being had to the accompanyingdrawings, which. are a part of this s )eci'fication.

This invention has for its object to provide a bearing for centrifugalseparators which will overcome the pounding noise incident to starting.Efforts to confine the spindles of centrifugal separators in closefitting bearings to reduce the vibrations thereof seem to aggravate thisobjectionable feature and increase the pounding noise produced.

It is therefore an object of this invention to avoid the objectionablenoise incident to starting by providing a hearing which will be yieldingin its nature and will respond to the movements of the spindle whiletending to restore the spindle to its proper position after suchmovements.

W'ith the above and other objects in view the invention consists in thebearing herein claimed, its parts and combinations of parts and allequivalents.

Referring to the accompanying drawings in which like characters ofreference indicate the same parts in the different vicws:- Figure 1 is asectional elevation of a portion of a centrifugal separator providedwith a bearing constructed in accordance with this invention; and, Fig.2 is a sectional view thereof on the plane of line 2-2 of Fig. 1.

In these drawings 5 represents the outer shell or casing of thecentrifugal separator and 6 is the rotary head therein which is mountedon the vertical spindle 7 as usual, constituting the means forsupporting and driving the rotary head.

A cylindrical casing 8 is provided at its upper end with an inwardlyextending flange 9 and an outwardly extending .flange 10, the formerproviding a central opening of somewhat larger diameter than the spindle 7 and the latter fitting upon the opening in the bottom of the shellor casing 5 and secured thereto by means of screws 11 or in any otherdesirable manner. The lower end of easing 8 is closed by a screw plug orhearing 12 which has a central opening some what larger in diameter thanthe spindle with its upper surface 13 slightly rounded spherically,approximately on. the lower or thrust bearing of the spindl as a center.

A sleeve 14 snugly but loosely fits upon the spindle 7 within thehousing ts and has an outwardly extending flange 15 at its lower endwhose bottom surface is rounded to correspond with the rounded surface1? of the plug 12 against which it bears, the outer edge of the flange15 being also rounded. A cylindrical thiinblc .16 surrounds thcsleeve14: with the flange 15 h var-ing against the intcrior of its lower endand has an inturned flange 17 at its upper end bearing upon the inturnedflange 9 of casing s. There is a rounded bead or projection 18 extendingoutwardly around the upper edge of the thimble to bear against the wallof asing $1, and c mstituting a pivotal bearing upon which the thimblemay no inclined in any direction, owing to the space between its lowerend and the inner wall of casing ir coil compression spring 19 surroundsthe sleeve 1-1: and hears at one end upon the flange 15 thereof and atthe other endv upon the flange 17 of the thimhlc 16. The upper end ofthe sleeve 14;, which projects through the opcnii'igs in the thimblc 1(3and the flange 9, is recessed along its inner edge at 20 to receive oilfor luln'icating the spindle at its hearing within said sleeve.

The screw plug 1.2 is provided with a wrench hold 21. by means of whichit may be turned into place and a flange 22 thereon limits its positionby engaging the end of casing 8. A groove or .rahhet 23:; at the upperend of the screw plug, around the rounded bearing surface 13 preventsthe engagement of the screw plug with the lower edge of thimblc 16.

In operation, movements of the spindle 7 incident to the starting of thecentrifugal separator are unrestrained by the bearing of this invention.(lyratory movements are permitted. by the sliding of the flange 15 ofsleeve 14 on the spherical bearing surface 13 of the screw plug 1.2, thecurvature of the bearing surface being on a center approximately at thepivotal point of the spindle. In moving out of its central normalposition, as shown in Fig. 1, the spindle causes flange 15 of sleeve 14to press outwardly upon the lower edge of thimblc 16, causing saidthimble to rock upon its pivotal bearing formed by the bead 18 at itsupper end so that the other side thereof moves downwardly to compressthe spring 19. The tendency of the coil spring is of course to restorethe parts to their normal position, which will be done as soon as thelateral movements of the spindle subside.

Any tendency on the part of the spindle 7 to tilt to one side or theother in the hearing is permitted by the sleeve rocking on itsflange 15against the bearing surface 13, causing the other side of the flange tolift from the engaging surface and compress the spring 19. The spring 19also tends to restore the parts to their normal position after suchmovements, and while allowing the sleeve 14 and the thimble 16 to yieldto the vibratory or gyratory movements of the spindle, serves toforcibly return the spindle to its normal upright position when theseparator has acquired its normal operating speed and the tendency tothese movements has passed.

By permitting the spindle to have the freedom allowed by the bearing ofthis invention the disagreeable vibration and noise usually produced onstarting centrifugal separators are obviated and the separator runsquietly and smoothly at all times.

It is obvious that the principles involved in this invention are notlimited to bearings for centrifugal separators, but are equallyapplicable to other devices having vertical shafts operating at a highspeed, and therefore the scope of the inventionas defined by the claimsincludes all such other devices to which these principles areapplicable.

h at I claim as my invention is;

1. A spindle bearing, comprising a pair of stationary seats, a sleevefor loosely receiving the spindle mounted on one stationary seat to havemovement thereon, a thimble tiltably mounted on the other stationaryseat and engaging the sleeve, and spring means for forcibly holding thesleeve and the thimble against their seats.

2. A spindle bearing, comprising a pair of stationary seats, a sleevefor loosely receiving the spindle mounted on one sta ionary seat to havemovement thereon, a thimble tiltably mounted on the other stationaryseat and engaging the sleeve, and spring means confined between thethimble and the sleeve for holding them on their seats.

3. A spindle bearing, comprising a pair of stationary seats, a flangedsleeve for loosely receiving the spindle mounted on one stationary seatto have movement thereon, a flanged thimble tiltably mounted on theother stationary seat and engaging the flange of the sleeve, and springmeans confined between the thimble and the sleeve and hearing I l l l lI l l g to have movement laterally of the spindle, a

thimble surrounding and engaging the sleeve and pivotally seated alongits periphery, and a spring confined between the thimble and the sleevefor holding the thimble on its seat and tending thereby to yieldablyhold the sleeve in its normal position.

5. A spindle bearing, comprising a sleeye for loosely receiving thespindle, a stationary seat on which the sleeve is slidably mounted tohave movement laterally of the spindle, there being a flange on thesleeve, a thimble surrounding the sleeve and engaging the flange at oneend, said thimble having a pivotal bearing at the periphery of the otherend, and a compression spring confined between the flange and thethimble for pressing the thimble on its bearing and holding the sleeveyieldingly in its normal position.

6. A spindle bearing, comprising a sleeve for loosely receiving thespindle, a cylindrical casing surrounding the sleeve and secured to thecasing of the centrifugal separator, a thimble seated on the end of thecasing and having a peripheral pivotal bearing against the wallsthereof, there being a flange on the sleeve loosely engaging the innerwalls of the thimble, a compression spring bearing against the flangeand the end of the thimble, and a seat on the casing against which thesleeve is held by the spring, said sleeve being slidable on the seatlaterally of the spindle.

7. A spindle bearing for centrifugal separators, comprising a sleeve forloosely receiving the spindle, a cylindrical casing surrounding thesleeve and secured to the casing of the centrifugal separator, a thimblesurrounding the sleeve and bearing at one end against the end of thecasing, there being a rounded bead at the bearing end of the thimblepivotally engaging the "walls of the casing, and a rounded flange on thesleeve loosely engaging the inner walls of the thimble, a compressionspring surrounding the sleeve and bearing on the flange and on thebearing end of the thimble, and a screw plug threaded in the casinghaving a bearing surface fitting the end of the sleeve on the curvatureof a sphere about the bearing point of the lower bearing of the spindleas a center.

In testimony whereof, I afliX my signature, in presence of twowitnesses.

CHARLES H SHAW.

lVitnesses:

R. S. C. CALDWELL, ALMA A. KLUG.

